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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. suit — to fit
  7. last — to go on
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. last — final
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kick — in football
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. last — finally
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. tear — to rip
  24. row — to paddle

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