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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. march — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — music
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. squash — to crush

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