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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. land — ground
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — high quality
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. land — a country
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. land — to come down
  20. shower — rain
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — all right
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. calf — a young animal

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