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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spell — magic
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. march — the month
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. branch — a division
  20. stand — to bear
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. march — music
  24. stand — on your feet

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