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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 124 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. last — finally
  5. tear — from crying
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fall — the season
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — boats
  14. board — a committee
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — to get on
  22. last — to go on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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