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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — a tin
  7. firm — steady
  8. drill — army training
  9. hand — help
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cue — a hint
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. firm — decided
  21. cue — a signal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. drill — a practice

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