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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mug — a cup
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fall — the season
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a face
  19. present — a gift
  20. mate — to breed
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. mate — a friend

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