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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wind — moving air
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — for tennis

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