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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. clip — a video
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. clip — for paper
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. branch — a division
  12. rash — hasty
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. land — a country
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — a series
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. safe — a strongbox

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