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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tear — to rip
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. club — for dancing
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lie — to recline
  16. club — a group
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. club — for golf
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bat — the animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bat — for baseball

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