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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ball — a great time
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fall — the season
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — of ice
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. saw — the tool

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