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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rash — a series
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cell — a phone
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rash — hasty
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. present — the time now
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cell — in biology
  20. race — a contest
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. deal — to handle

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