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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — government
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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