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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cap — a lid
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. snap — to click
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a committee
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — to get on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cold — not warm
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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