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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cell — a phone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. last — to go on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — the sport
  18. kick — in football
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. kick — a thrill

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