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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. track — a song
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wind — moving air
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stock — shares
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stock — goods
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chest — a box
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. vault — a safe

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