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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a great time
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. plane — a tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — to recline
  22. shower — rain
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wave — with your hand

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