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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fall — the season
  9. firm — a company
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — decided
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hand — help
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — in cards

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