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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. key — in music
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. key — for a lock
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. can — a tin

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