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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cold — not warm
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cold — an illness
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bank — of a river
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — rain
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. hand — in cards
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hand — help

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