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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 120 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: pitch · tear · lie · last · mate · wave · bore · coach

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. last — to go on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — a partner
  12. last — finally
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lie — to recline
  16. last — final
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bore — to tire
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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