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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. tear — from crying
  3. present — there
  4. deal — to handle
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. present — the time now
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — a gift
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rest — a break
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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