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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. row — to paddle
  3. roll — a list
  4. bass — low music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. band — a music group
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — electricity
  13. roll — a cake
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. row — a line
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. foot — a measure
  21. charge — in control
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — a price

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