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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.

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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. shower — rain
  20. game — a match
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pit — a hole

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