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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fine — all right
  4. present — a gift
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — the time now
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. present — there
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kid — child
  18. wave — of the sea

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