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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — in sport
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. net — for catching
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — government
  19. wind — moving air
  20. net — after costs
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — to cool the air

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