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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — in sport
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — of the year
  15. race — a contest
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — humankind
  21. wind — moving air
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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