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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. row — a line
  12. march — music
  13. object — an aim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. kick — in football
  16. object — a thing
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — to protest
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — to paddle
  24. march — the month

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