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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. row — a line
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fork — in a road
  20. row — to paddle
  21. club — a group
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bear — to put up with

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