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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tube — a container
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — to bear
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wound — an injury
  24. saw — the tool

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