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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. roll — a list
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bass — low music
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. roll — a cake
  20. file — a line of people
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to click
  24. file — a document

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