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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: sharp · tear · court · rock · leaves · shower · pound · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. shower — rain
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rock — a stone
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. shower — to wash
  19. court — for sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wave — with your hand

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