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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rule — government
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ground — a position
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. craft — boats
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ground — the earth

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