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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bass — low music
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. season — in sport
  19. ground — the earth
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ground — crushed
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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