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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — soda
  6. row — to paddle
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. squash — to crush
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. race — humankind
  19. pop — to visit
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pop — music
  23. row — a line
  24. chair — a professorship

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