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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tear — from crying
  7. swing — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. object — an aim
  11. swing — to play on
  12. club — for golf
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wind — moving air
  20. club — a group
  21. tear — to rip
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wind — to turn a key

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