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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. march — the month
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — temperature
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. craft — boats
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — a skill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — the month
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. degree — from a university

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