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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mate — to breed
  4. last — final
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bank — of a river
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — finally
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bass — low music
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tear — from crying
  23. last — to go on
  24. straw — dry grass

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