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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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. calf — of the leg
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chip — to eat
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rule — government
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. suit — clothes
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. prune — to trim

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