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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mate — a partner
  3. field — for sport
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mug — a cup
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pit — a hole
  14. deal — to handle
  15. field — a subject
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — in a race
  22. field — farmland
  23. mate — to breed
  24. deal — an agreement

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