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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: cold · tear · stick · bay · wave · bank

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bank — for money
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — for money
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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