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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. court — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of a king
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. court — of law
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bear — to put up with

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