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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spring — of water
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spring — the season
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bank — of a river
  7. club — for golf
  8. clip — a video
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — for dancing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — to shout
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. club — a group
  18. clip — to cut
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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