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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bass — low music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rule — government
  14. rest — a break
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rule — a law
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tear — to rip

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