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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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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: bay · wave · straw · fine · tear · bound · bear · fall

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fall — the season
  12. fine — high quality
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fine — all right
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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