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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. swing — in golf
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fall — to drop
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. swing — music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. fall — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rock — music
  24. shower — to wash

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