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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. dip — to sink
  14. court — of law
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cell — a phone
  18. tube — a container
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. court — of a king
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ground — a position
  24. court — for sport

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