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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mug — a face
  5. hand — in cards
  6. tear — to rip
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — to breed
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — in control
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mate — a friend

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