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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. hand — help
  7. object — an aim
  8. present — the time now
  9. object — a thing
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. present — there
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hand — in cards
  14. shower — rain
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tear — from crying
  17. present — a gift
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. tear — to rip
  24. shower — to wash

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