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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. present — the time now
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. charge — a price
  5. present — there
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. present — a gift

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