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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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. present — there
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. race — a contest
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. present — a gift
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. current — electric
  17. present — the time now
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. current — happening now
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — of water

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