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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wake — a trail
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — army training
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. roll — a list
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. drill — a practice
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — in music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — to recline

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