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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. march — the month
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — in a road
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. march — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a line
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ruler — for measuring

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