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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — to handle
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. game — a match
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — wild animals
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spring — of water
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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