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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. face — to confront
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. court — of law
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. court — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — for digging
  20. court — of a king
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hand — help

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