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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. board — to get on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — army training
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. drill — the tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — to rip
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — the season
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spring — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  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