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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. row — a line
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. squash — to crush
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. suit — clothes
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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