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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — low music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tube — a container
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — in control
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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