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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — finally
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. last — to go on
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. last — final
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — a container
  19. tear — from crying
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tear — to rip
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lean — thin

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