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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — size or range
  7. object — an aim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — a song
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — to confront
  12. tear — to rip
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. march — the month
  17. tear — from crying
  18. face — to point toward
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — part of the head
  24. calf — a young animal

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