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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rest — a break
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. dip — to sink
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. deal — an agreement

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