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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rash — a series
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — happy
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. content — the amount

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