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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — wild animals
  7. object — to protest
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — to bear
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wake — a trail
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a song
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. object — a thing
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. game — a match
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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