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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. key — the most important part
  10. squash — the sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ground — a position
  17. hand — help
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ground — the earth

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