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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. clip — for paper
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rush — hurry
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. clip — a video
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — for a computer

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