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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chest — a box
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hand — help
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bowl — to roll

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