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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. net — for catching
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — after costs
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rest — a break
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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