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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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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. content — the amount
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kid — child
  13. content — happy
  14. pitch — completely
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fork — a garden tool

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