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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. key — for a lock
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — an eyelash

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