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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. content — the amount
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. plane — a tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — to bear
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cue — for pool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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