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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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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: object · march · court · lie · tear · rash · wave · rush

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — a series
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. march — the month
  8. court — of law
  9. march — the month
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. object — a thing
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. object — an aim
  14. tear — to rip
  15. march — music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. court — for sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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