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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tear — to rip
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. game — wild animals
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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