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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: tear · pit · cap · mine · lean · rock · wave · firm

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lean — thin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rock — music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. firm — decided
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. firm — a company
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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