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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. firm — a company
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — decided
  17. tear — to rip
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — steady
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. straw — dry grass

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