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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. clip — to cut
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. clip — a video
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. suit — in cards
  21. clip — for paper
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wake — a trail

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