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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lie — to recline
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hand — help
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bound — certain
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lie — an untruth

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