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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spell — letters
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitch — completely
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — rain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rash — a series
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — magic
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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