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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. net — in sport
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. snap — to click
  7. rule — a law
  8. net — after costs
  9. tear — from crying
  10. net — for catching
  11. rule — government
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. board — to get on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tube — a container
  22. deal — to handle
  23. saw — the tool
  24. board — a committee

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