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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — a path
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rock — a stone
  8. track — a song
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mine — for digging
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. branch — a division
  22. kick — in football
  23. game — wild animals
  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