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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. land — ground
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rash — a series
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — help
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — to come down
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — a country

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