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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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. plane — a tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. present — a gift
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — a break
  19. sharp — clever
  20. dip — to sink
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to bend
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — part of the body

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