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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pop — soda
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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