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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mate — a partner
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. capital — a city

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