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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. object — to protest
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pop — music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — a line
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. object — a thing
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. object — an aim
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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