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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mug — a face
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — a country
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — a cup
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wake — a trail
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  24. nail — for a hammer

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