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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fine — high quality
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. track — a path
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fine — a penalty

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