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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — for pool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tear — to rip

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