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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — all right
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — a law
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rule — government
  24. wound — an injury

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