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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. present — there
  3. tear — to rip
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — the time now
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. present — a gift

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