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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — to recline
  3. object — a thing
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. object — to protest
  8. fine — all right
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — a price
  12. tear — from crying
  13. object — an aim
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — the sport

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