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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tear — from crying
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to click
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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