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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. net — after costs
  3. tear — from crying
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. kid — child
  8. mate — a partner
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. net — for catching
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. tear — to rip
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stand — to bear
  21. net — in sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hide — to keep secret

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