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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. shower — rain
  18. drill — army training

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