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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. squash — to crush
  6. march — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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