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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bat — the animal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — a trail
  15. season — of the year
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tear — from crying
  22. season — in sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lash — an eyelash

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