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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. present — there
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. present — a gift
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — a company

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