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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. chest — of your body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — the underground
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — clothes
  9. tube — a container
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chest — of your body
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. suit — to fit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chest — a box
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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