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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. firm — decided
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — a company
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rest — a break
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mine — for digging
  22. firm — steady
  23. kid — child
  24. mine — an explosive

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