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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. land — ground
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. land — a country
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pass — a permit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. snap — to click
  18. land — to come down
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. trunk — 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