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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — to rip
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — help
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — clothes
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bound — obliged

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