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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. staff — a stick
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. swing — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. swing — in golf
  15. content — the amount
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. swing — to play on
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — in music

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