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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · wave · hide · race · swing · pitcher · object · spring

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. swing — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spring — of water
  6. race — humankind
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spring — the season
  15. race — a contest
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — high quality
  18. race — the arms race
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. object — to protest
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. object — an aim
  24. hide — animal skin

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