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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tear — from crying
  12. current — electric
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — happening now
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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