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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. net — after costs
  4. tear — from crying
  5. roll — a list
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — in sport
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. roll — a cake
  15. net — for catching
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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