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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. game — a match
  8. march — the month
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wind — moving air
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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