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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — thin
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — a contest
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. race — humankind
  15. bark — to shout
  16. roll — a list
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stand — to bear
  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