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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — in music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hand — help
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. chip — to eat
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. key — the most important part
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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