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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — help
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mug — a cup
  10. present — the time now
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. present — there
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mug — a face
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. swing — music
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — in cards

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