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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. firm — steady
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. content — happy
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. content — the amount
  15. firm — decided
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spring — a coil
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. firm — a company
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tear — to rip
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. rush — to hurry

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