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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mug — to rob
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mug — a face
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. tear — from crying
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — music

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