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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. swing — in golf
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — final
  8. key — the most important part
  9. content — happy
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. key — for a lock
  16. swing — music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. content — the amount
  22. rock — a stone
  23. key — in music
  24. rock — 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