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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spring — of water
  6. land — ground
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spring — a coil
  13. land — a country
  14. net — in sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — to come down
  19. spring — the season
  20. mate — a friend
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. net — after costs
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — from crying

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