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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tear — to rip
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — hurry
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. hide — to keep secret

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