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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: roll · bank · lie · wave · can · tear · file · shower

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tear — from crying
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. tear — from crying
  7. file — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. tear — to rip
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. file — a document

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