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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. object — an aim
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — a thing
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. lash — to lash out

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