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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 124 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cold — not warm
  7. spring — the season
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bound — obliged
  10. suit — in cards
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bound — certain
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spring — a coil
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. suit — to fit

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