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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rash — hasty
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. clip — for paper
  12. court — of law
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rash — a series
  17. clip — a video
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. court — for sport
  23. clip — to cut
  24. court — of a king

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