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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. swing — music
  4. ground — a position
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rock — music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. snap — to click
  16. ground — crushed
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rock — a stone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. vault — a safe
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ground — the earth

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