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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. sharp — clever
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. season — in sport
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — to protest
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — of the year
  14. object — a thing
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fall — the season
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. object — an aim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — of a bank

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