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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — magic
  8. cold — an illness
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the sport
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cold — not warm
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spell — letters
  24. kid — child

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