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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. board — a committee
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — a division
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. key — in music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. board — to get on
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. squash — the sport

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