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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. club — for golf
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wind — moving air
  6. charge — a price
  7. club — a group
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. key — in music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. charge — in control
  13. bat — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. club — for dancing
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. key — for a lock
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wave — with your hand

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