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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tube — a container
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lean — to bend
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. firm — a company
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lean — thin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — steady
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. firm — decided
  21. tear — to rip
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — to rest against

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