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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pit — a hole
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. march — music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. march — the month

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