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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lean — thin
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. firm — a company
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — to recline
  19. file — a tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. file — a document
  23. cue — a signal
  24. calf — a young animal

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