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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. race — humankind
  7. mine — for digging
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — rain
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. race — a contest
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. race — the arms race
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. suit — to fit
  23. band — a ring
  24. shower — to wash

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