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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · tear · firm · chest · cold · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. firm — decided
  5. mug — a face
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. firm — a company
  9. mug — a cup
  10. tear — from crying
  11. firm — steady
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cold — not warm
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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