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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — help
  4. pop — music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. charge — in control
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tear — to rip
  16. charge — a price
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. firm — decided
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. firm — steady
  24. pop — to visit

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