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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — to recline
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. track — a path
  9. rule — government
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tear — to rip
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — a law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — a song
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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