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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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. last — finally
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. last — final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — child
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. swing — to play on
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wake — before a funeral

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