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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. face — to confront
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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