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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: pass · hide · ruler · foot · fall · wave · wound · tear

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fall — the season
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tear — from crying
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — an injury

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