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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. snap — to click
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. craft — a skill
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cue — a signal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cue — for pool
  23. craft — boats
  24. game — wild animals

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