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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. tear — from crying
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — for digging
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. sharp — clever
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ball — a great time
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ball — a round shape

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