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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lean — to bend
  6. shower — to wash
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. squash — to crush
  10. shower — rain
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. lean — thin
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fine — all right
  21. squash — the sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. temple — a place of worship

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