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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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spring — the season
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rest — a break
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. clip — a video

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