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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — the cause
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. charge — a price
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. roll — a list
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — electricity
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — in control
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rock — music

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