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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. degree — temperature
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rock — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rest — a break
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — there
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bore — to drill
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to tire
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — with your hand

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