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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — a division
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — for catching
  7. court — of a king
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ground — a position
  11. net — in sport
  12. court — for sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. court — of law
  18. net — after costs
  19. snap — to click
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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