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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. tear — to rip
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — in football
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. firm — steady
  10. mug — a cup
  11. can — a tin
  12. firm — decided
  13. hand — help
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. firm — a company
  16. mug — a face
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tear — from crying
  21. file — a document
  22. can — to be able to
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a tool

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