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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cell — in biology
  3. kick — in football
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. club — for dancing
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. club — a group
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. tube — a container
  14. game — a match
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. club — for golf
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. squash — to crush

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