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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. 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. racket — a loud noise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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