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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · shower · tear · coach · rush · wave · present · land

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tear — to rip
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. present — the time now
  19. land — ground
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — there
  24. pass — a permit

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