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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mine — for digging
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mark — a grade
  19. present — there
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mark — a trace
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — with your hand

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