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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — from crying
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fine — all right
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wave — of the sea

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