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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. shower — rain
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wound — an injury
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chest — a box
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. last — to go on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chest — of your body
  18. last — final
  19. fine — high quality
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fine — all right
  23. last — finally
  24. snap — to click

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