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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bat — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. content — happy
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. object — to protest
  24. trunk — of a car

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