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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. swing — to play on
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. swing — in golf
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lean — to bend
  15. swing — music
  16. craft — boats
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. foot — part of the body

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