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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rock — music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. drill — a practice
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — the tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — a match
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — to get on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — a committee
  22. drill — army training
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tear — from crying

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