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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. club — a group
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — an aim
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rash — a series
  11. club — for golf
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — a thing
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fork — in a road

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