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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — music
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pop — soda
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. band — a ring
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a rubber band

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