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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ball — a great time
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. land — ground
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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