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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. scale — in music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cue — a hint
  11. firm — a company
  12. spring — of water
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. spring — the season
  17. tear — to rip
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. firm — steady
  22. scale — size or range
  23. firm — decided
  24. cue — for pool

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