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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — of the year
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. tear — from crying
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ruler — a monarch

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