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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hand — help
  4. bore — to drill
  5. firm — decided
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — for pool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — money
  13. scale — in music
  14. firm — a company
  15. tear — to rip
  16. capital — a city
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hide — animal skin

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