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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — a thing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. object — an aim
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — to rip
  22. chair — a leader
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. object — to protest

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