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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 120 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: wave · tear · fan · march · leaves · kick · fall · firm

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — a company
  7. march — music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — decided
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fall — to drop
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. fall — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. firm — steady
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fall — to drop

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