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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. spell — letters
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spell — magic
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. face — to confront
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spell — a short time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — a trace
  21. face — part of the head
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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