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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — hurry
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. spring — the season
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spring — of water
  16. rash — hasty
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. branch — a division
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rash — a series

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