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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — in football
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. sharp — clever
  6. present — there
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tear — to rip
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. craft — boats
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wake — a trail
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. tear — from crying

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