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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fall — the season
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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