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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. swing — music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chip — for betting
  7. club — for golf
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — a group
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chip — to eat
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. kick — in football
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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