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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — a safe
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. field — a subject
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. land — ground
  15. field — farmland
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. land — a country
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — the fruit

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