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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bound — certain
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stock — goods
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cold — an illness
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. tube — a container
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. stock — shares

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