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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — for digging
  3. key — in music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stock — shares
  11. bound — tied together
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bound — certain
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. face — to confront
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — obliged
  24. face — part of the head

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