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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cap — of ice
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rest — a break
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fine — all right
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — a lid
  14. current — happening now
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — high quality
  18. current — of water
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rest — what's left
  23. current — electric
  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