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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bass — low music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — a safe
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. sharp — clever
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bass — the fish
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. dip — to sink
  24. leaves — lets stay

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