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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. drill — army training
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. shower — to wash
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — a practice
  22. shower — rain
  23. drill — the tool
  24. branch — of a tree

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