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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rule — government
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. club — a group
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rule — a law
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. branch — a division
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — a position
  20. mug — a face
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ground — crushed

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