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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. scale — in music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. shower — rain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ball — a dance
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. object — an aim
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. plane — a tool

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