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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tube — a container
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chest — a box
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — a break
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lie — to recline
  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