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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — certain
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fall — the season
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. suit — in cards

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