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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chip — for betting
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chip — to eat
  7. season — in sport
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mate — a friend
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tube — a container
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. season — of the year
  18. band — a music group
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. band — a ring
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pit — a hole

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