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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. squash — to crush
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. degree — temperature
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — a break
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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