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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wound — an injury
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wound — an injury
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. tear — from crying
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pass — to succeed

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