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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. land — to come down
  3. bound — tied together
  4. snap — to click
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — a country
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ground — a position
  10. bound — certain
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. band — a rubber band

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