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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. branch — a division
  3. kid — to tease
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — a break
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kid — child
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. game — a match
  15. bound — tied together
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. drill — army training
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — to be able to
  22. drill — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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