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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — in control
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pound — a weight
  12. charge — a price
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. capital — money
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. drill — army training
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. nail — on a finger

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