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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rule — a law
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fall — the season
  5. key — in music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rule — government
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tube — a container
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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