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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mark — a grade
  6. scale — in music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — to rob
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. tear — to rip
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a trace
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. tear — from crying
  22. shower — rain
  23. mug — a face
  24. wave — with your hand

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