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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mine — for digging
  8. content — the amount
  9. rock — a stone
  10. march — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tube — a container
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — to sink
  17. march — the month
  18. content — happy
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rock — to move gently

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