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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. march — music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wind — moving air
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wave — with your hand

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