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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. field — farmland
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. field — a subject
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. field — for sport
  12. bound — certain
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chest — a box
  15. bound — obliged
  16. band — a ring
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. band — a music group

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