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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. scale — size or range
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — from crying

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