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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cold — an illness
  3. present — there
  4. charge — in control
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. present — a gift
  7. charge — electricity
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. present — the time now
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. cold — not warm
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — a price
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fork — to eat with

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