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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. content — the amount
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — of the year
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — in sport
  10. content — happy
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cap — of ice
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bound — certain
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cap — a hat

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