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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. tear — to rip
  5. snap — to click
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — finally
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wind — moving air
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fine — all right
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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