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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bear — the animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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