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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 120 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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — in football
  16. content — happy
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. content — the amount
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wave — with your hand

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