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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — a match
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chip — to eat
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — a list
  14. clip — to cut
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. roll — a cake
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bass — low music
  24. clip — a video

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