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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. object — a thing
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — an aim
  6. scale — in music
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spell — letters
  10. file — a document
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. spring — the season
  14. file — a tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spring — a coil
  19. object — to protest
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ball — a dance
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spring — of water

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