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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cue — for pool
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bat — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lean — thin
  18. bound — certain
  19. tear — from crying
  20. last — final
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mate — a friend
  23. last — to go on
  24. lean — to bend

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