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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — decided
  6. march — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. firm — steady
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. march — the month
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. firm — a company
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. branch — a division
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bat — in an idiom

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