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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. object — to protest
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. object — an aim
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bass — the fish
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. object — a thing
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. clip — a video
  19. toast — bread
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bass — low music
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. clip — for paper

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