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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wake — a trail
  16. face — to confront
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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