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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. scale — in music
  8. rash — a series
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. press — newspapers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. press — to push
  20. land — ground
  21. cell — in biology
  22. land — to come down
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. land — a country

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