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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. object — to protest
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. object — an aim
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bark — to shout
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. object — a thing
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. content — the amount
  17. row — a line
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. content — happy
  21. lean — thin
  22. hand — help
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pit — a hole

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