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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tear — from crying
  13. foot — a measure
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. file — a tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. file — a document

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