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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. field — farmland
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cold — not warm
  19. suit — to fit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rash — a series
  22. mate — a partner
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mouse — the animal

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