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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mine — for digging
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tube — the underground
  6. race — a contest
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — humankind
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — a container
  24. key — in music

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