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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cold — not warm
  5. key — in music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cold — an illness
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — a line
  13. key — for a lock
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mark — a trace
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cold — the Cold War

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