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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. scale — in music
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lean — thin
  10. branch — a division
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — a leader
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mate — to breed
  24. capital — money

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