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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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 — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. plane — a tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — a sauce
  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