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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. firm — steady
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. firm — a company
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chest — a box
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. row — a line
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — decided
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — to paddle
  24. chest — of your body

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