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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.

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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — boats
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fall — to drop
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — for paper
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. foot — a measure
  12. last — finally
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. craft — a skill
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. clip — a video
  18. tear — to rip
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. last — to go on
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fall — the season
  23. last — final
  24. wave — with your hand

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