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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chest — of your body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stock — goods
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitch — completely
  21. drill — army training
  22. chest — a box
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stock — shares

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