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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — a price
  4. mate — to breed
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. craft — boats
  7. shower — rain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mate — a partner
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. scale — in music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. club — a group
  17. charge — in control
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for dancing
  20. craft — a skill
  21. deal — to handle
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tear — to rip
  24. club — for golf

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