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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. key — in music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. leaves — to go away

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