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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. swing — music
  6. land — ground
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — a price
  10. lie — to recline
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — to play on
  16. tear — to rip
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tear — from crying
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — electricity
  24. swing — in golf

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