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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. race — a contest
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — humankind
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wake — a trail
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. club — a group
  18. object — a thing
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — to eat
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bank — for money

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