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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wake — a trail
  7. current — happening now
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a dance
  13. board — to get on
  14. tear — to rip
  15. current — of water
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. board — a committee
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. dip — a sauce

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