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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — to breed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — to bear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bass — low music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tear — from crying

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