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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. game — a match
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cue — a signal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. shower — rain
  24. game — a kind of play

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