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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hand — help
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. spell — magic
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. game — a match
  19. spell — letters
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hand — in cards

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