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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. tear — to rip
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mug — to rob
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. scale — in music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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