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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. dip — to sink
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. shower — rain
  6. lean — to bend
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chip — to eat
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lean — thin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lie — an untruth

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