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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. track — to keep track
  3. suit — to fit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lie — to recline
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitch — completely
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. game — a match
  24. can — a tin

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