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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. press — newspapers
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wake — a trail
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. rest — a break
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bark — to shout

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