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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. race — a contest
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — the month
  15. race — humankind
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  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