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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rush — a thrill

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