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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ball — a great time
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ball — a dance
  13. drill — a practice
  14. content — the amount
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — happy
  18. drill — army training
  19. deal — to handle
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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