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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. content — happy
  5. kid — child
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. land — a country
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. land — to come down
  22. content — the amount
  23. land — ground
  24. kid — to tease

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