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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — for sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — farmland
  13. can — to be able to
  14. field — a subject
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — after costs
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. board — a committee
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wave — of the sea

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