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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bass — the instrument

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