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

Word bank: pit · temple · rest · pop · scale · tear · wave · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pit — a hole
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pop — music
  11. rest — a break
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pop — soda
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rest — what's left
  20. scale — in music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tear — from crying

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