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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bound — certain
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spell — magic
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — letters
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — a contest
  10. shower — rain
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bound — obliged
  14. race — humankind
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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