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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. land — to come down
  4. season — in sport
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — of the year
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a match

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