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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bore — to tire
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cue — a signal

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