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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · ground · rush · mark · mate · chest · fall · object

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ground — a position
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ground — crushed
  20. object — an aim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fall — the season

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