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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tube — a container
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rush — hurry
  6. net — after costs
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — for catching
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — magic
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rock — music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — letters
  23. key — in music
  24. spell — a short time

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