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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rest — a break
  5. snap — to click
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — a hole
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. staff — employees
  18. kid — child
  19. race — a contest
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — humankind
  22. staff — a stick
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pit — in a race

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