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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spring — the season
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spring — of water
  5. mine — for digging
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. race — humankind
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. race — a contest
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. calf — a young animal

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