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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. toast — bread
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. drill — the tool
  16. game — a match
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chest — a box
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. drill — army training
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — with your hand

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