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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: cell · wave · chest · tear · march · track · cue · lean

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — to rip
  3. march — the month
  4. cell — a phone
  5. march — the month
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cell — in biology
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. lean — thin
  13. chest — a box
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lean — to bend
  21. march — music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — a path

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