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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. suit — in cards
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lean — thin
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hand — help
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hand — in cards
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. net — after costs
  18. cue — a signal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. net — in sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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