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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pop — music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stand — to bear
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pop — soda
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lean — thin
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. land — ground

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