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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rash — a series
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — happy
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — to go on
  24. wave — with your hand

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