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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. vault — a safe
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rock — music
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — a line
  18. sharp — clever
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. present — there
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — to paddle

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