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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — in control
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. charge — a price
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. charge — electricity
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wind — moving air

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