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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. root — of a word
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. root — the cause
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. charge — a price
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. charge — in control

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