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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fall — to drop
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. shower — rain
  10. fall — the season
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — low music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bulb — for light

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