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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kid — child
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bass — low music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. season — of the year
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — a line
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — in sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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