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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — a stick
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — a hint
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — to go on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. last — finally
  15. mate — a partner
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — for pool
  18. staff — employees
  19. last — final
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — a friend

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