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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mate — to breed
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mate — a partner
  8. squash — to crush
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — the sport
  17. court — for sport
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. mate — a friend
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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