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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. field — a subject
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. field — for sport
  8. last — finally
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. staff — employees
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. field — farmland
  18. last — final
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. last — to go on
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — a trace

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