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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: dip · tear · calf · wave · rule · lean · saw · mug

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — a law
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rule — government
  24. lean — to rest against

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