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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: wave · dip · mouse · tear · bear · cold · rule · track

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rule — government
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rule — a law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bear — the animal

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