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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — army training
  12. capital — money
  13. bound — obliged
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bound — certain
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. capital — a city
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. capital — a big letter

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