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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — all right
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — the arms race
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — humankind
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. race — a contest
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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