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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cold — not warm
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. firm — decided
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. present — a gift
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. present — there
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. tear — to rip
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. plane — a tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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