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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. shower — rain
  6. spell — letters
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spell — magic
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. shower — to wash
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spell — a short time
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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