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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — to breed
  3. row — a line
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. tear — to rip
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. craft — a skill
  9. foot — a measure
  10. craft — boats
  11. net — after costs
  12. mate — a partner
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tear — from crying
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. net — for catching
  18. row — to paddle
  19. net — in sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. staff — employees
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hide — to keep secret

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