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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spring — of water
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — what's left
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rest — what's left
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bore — to drill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — to tire
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wake — a trail
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wave — of the sea

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