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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — to go on
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. last — finally
  10. tear — to rip
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — final
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. prune — to trim

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