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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. key — in music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stand — to bear
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rock — a stone
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. object — to protest
  17. shower — rain
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. hand — help

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