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

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hand — in cards
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail

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