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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — a line
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tear — to rip
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. present — a gift
  13. snap — to click
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. march — the month
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — the time now

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