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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. trunk — of a car
  3. drill — the tool
  4. club — for golf
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bound — certain
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — a tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — a group
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — for dancing
  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