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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. ground — a position
  4. object — to protest
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. object — an aim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ground — the earth
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pop — soda
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — part of the body

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