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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pop — to visit
  6. file — a document
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bank — for money
  19. pop — music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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