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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. swing — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. swing — in golf

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