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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mate — to breed
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. mate — a friend
  9. hand — help
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. charge — a price
  13. hand — in cards
  14. key — in music
  15. bass — low music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mate — a partner
  19. key — for a lock
  20. plane — a tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. bass — the fish
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bass — the instrument

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