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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. race — the arms race
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — electricity
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. clip — to cut
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kid — child
  12. band — a music group
  13. kid — to tease
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. clip — for paper
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. toast — bread
  21. band — a ring
  22. clip — a video
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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