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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rule — a law
  6. tear — from crying
  7. club — for dancing
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spring — of water
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. club — a group
  16. hand — help
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — for golf
  23. spring — the season
  24. rule — government

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