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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. row — a line
  14. spell — magic
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bound — certain
  19. spell — letters
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bark — of a tree

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