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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. last — finally
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — final
  16. shower — rain
  17. mark — a trace
  18. straw — a straw man

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