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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tear — to rip
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rash — a series
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. drill — army training
  13. shower — rain
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. tear — from crying

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