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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 116 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. court — of law
  4. spell — letters
  5. court — of a king
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spell — magic
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — a song
  14. bound — certain
  15. track — a path
  16. bound — obliged
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — thin
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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