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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hand — help
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. land — to come down
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. land — a country
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hand — in cards
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. land — ground
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wax — in the ear

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