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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. shower — rain
  6. current — happening now
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. current — of water
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mug — to rob
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mug — a face
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sports field

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