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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chip — to eat
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lie — to recline
  22. date — the fruit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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