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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. key — the most important part
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. key — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. spring — a coil
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spring — the season
  12. current — of water
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. roll — a list
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. branch — a division
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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