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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. row — a line
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bass — low music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pitch — completely
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wave — with your hand

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