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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — in sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. net — for catching
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — after costs
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fan — to cool the air

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