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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: temple · chest · stand · rush · tear · bark · wave · fan

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chest — a box
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — a place of worship

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