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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. content — happy
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — wild animals
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fall — the season
  23. content — the amount
  24. game — a match

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