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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. tear — from crying
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. tear — to rip
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lie — to recline
  13. row — to paddle
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fine — high quality
  19. row — a line
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — all right
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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