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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mug — a face
  16. track — a song
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mug — to rob
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mug — a cup
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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