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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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