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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. current — happening now
  17. squash — to crush
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. key — for a lock

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