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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — rain
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. last — to go on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. last — final
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. tear — to rip
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bass — low music
  23. shower — to wash
  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