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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fall — the season
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — in control
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. charge — a price
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. shower — rain
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wax — to grow
  17. shower — to wash
  18. temple — a place of worship

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