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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tear — to rip
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — with your hand
  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