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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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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a document
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a line of people
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — a container
  21. squash — the sport
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. suit — to fit

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