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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. clip — a video
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. club — a group
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. club — for golf
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hand — help
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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