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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. key — for a lock
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — in sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rash — a series
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. net — after costs
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. key — in music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — for catching
  24. bulb — of a plant

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