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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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 — a sudden rise
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. court — of a king
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spring — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — for sport
  16. chair — a leader
  17. court — of law
  18. spring — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to click
  21. lie — to recline
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spring — a coil
  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