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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · hand · spring · wake · wave · lie · leaves · temple

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hand — in cards
  10. spring — the season
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. row — to paddle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spring — of water
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. wave — of the sea

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