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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. last — finally
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. last — to go on
  12. tear — to rip
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. face — to point toward
  18. last — final
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. tear — from crying
  23. face — to confront
  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