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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — certain
  4. band — a ring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. hand — help
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spring — of water
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — the season
  24. band — a music group

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