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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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. wave — with your hand
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. suit — to fit
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lean — thin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stem — to come from

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