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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bank — for money
  8. ground — a position
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — hurry
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — for money
  18. clip — a video
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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