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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spring — a coil
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rule — government
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rule — a law
  13. track — a song
  14. spring — of water
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. spring — the season
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kick — a thrill

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