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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. toast — bread
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — soda
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. face — part of the head
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. face — to point toward

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