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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pit — a hole
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pit — in a race
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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