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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cue — for pool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stock — goods
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — shares
  24. ball — a great time

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