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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a document
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ground — a position
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. file — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — a match

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