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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rock — a stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — a hat
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. file — a document
  21. rock — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. branch — a division
  24. file — a tool

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