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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — decided
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. firm — a company
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bass — low music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hand — help
  24. bat — the animal

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