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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. net — after costs
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cue — a hint
  5. firm — decided
  6. board — a committee
  7. last — to go on
  8. net — for catching
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. last — finally
  13. board — to get on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. last — final
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — steady
  22. net — in sport
  23. tear — to rip
  24. firm — a company

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