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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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468
Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. board — to get on
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — to cool the air

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