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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot

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