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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 · squash · temple · leaves · rest · arm · band · wave

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. band — a music group
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a ring
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. leaves — of a tree

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