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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — clever
  7. land — ground
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chest — a box
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — to come down
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. land — a country
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fork — a garden tool

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