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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. spring — of water
  6. mate — a partner
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. perch — the fish
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — for golf
  19. kick — in football
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spring — a coil
  23. club — a group
  24. spring — the season

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