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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. toast — bread
  3. net — after costs
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. cap — a hat
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. file — a tool
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. game — a match
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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