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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. dip — to sink
  8. drill — army training
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chip — for betting
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — a measure
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — in cards

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