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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a music group
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. race — humankind
  10. cue — for pool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. race — a contest
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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