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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. hand — help
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. row — a line
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. suit — to fit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rash — hasty

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