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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pop — to visit
  4. kid — to tease
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pop — soda
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — in control
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pop — music
  19. kid — child
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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