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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tear — to rip
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — clever
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kick — in football
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mark — a grade
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. sharp — with an edge

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