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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mate — a partner
  6. track — to keep track
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. track — a song
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cue — a signal
  13. present — a gift
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — to breed
  16. present — the time now
  17. mate — a friend
  18. content — happy
  19. cue — a hint
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. present — there
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — a path
  24. tear — to rip

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