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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. track — a path
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a song
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spell — letters
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. spell — magic
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com