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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bass — the fish
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — low music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pit — in a race

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