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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lean — to bend
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wave — with your hand

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