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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — after costs
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lie — to recline
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. net — in sport
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. dip — to sink
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — letters
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. dip — to dunk

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