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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spring — the season
  6. toast — bread
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cue — for pool
  14. band — a music group
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. band — a ring
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mine — for digging

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