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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tear — from crying
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a hat
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rash — a series
  21. date — the fruit
  22. toast — bread
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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