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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. object — to protest
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cue — a hint
  18. object — a thing
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. foot — the bottom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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