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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. staff — employees
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — thin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — what's left
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stock — goods
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — shares
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rest — a break
  22. lean — to bend
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stock — a soup base

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