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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rush — hurry
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spell — letters
  5. fine — all right
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spell — a short time
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. tear — to rip
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. foot — a measure
  21. spell — magic
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fine — a penalty

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