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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wave — with your hand

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