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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 124 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tear — from crying
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. toast — bread
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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