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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pop — soda
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bank — for money
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rest — a break
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — a group
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — for golf
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cold — an illness
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — what's left

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