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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spring — the season
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rest — a break
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — of water
  19. scale — in music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — all right

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