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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stem — to come from
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tear — to rip
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stem — a stem cell

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