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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.

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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fall — the season
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. file — a document
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. file — a tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. lean — thin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hand — in cards

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