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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: rush · wave · mate · wound · lean · tear · face · mine

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mate — a partner
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — for digging
  21. face — to confront
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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