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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rush — hurry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. pit — a hole
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chest — of your body
  22. land — a country
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bore — to drill

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