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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — a trace
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kick — in football
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spring — the season
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spring — of water
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — a coil

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