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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. march — the month
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. scale — in music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rush — hurry
  23. march — music
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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