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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. toast — bread
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for golf
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. club — a group
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chest — a box
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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