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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — hurry
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. mark — a grade
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — from crying
  8. row — to paddle
  9. staff — employees
  10. cue — a hint
  11. tear — to rip
  12. hand — help
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cue — a signal
  16. row — a line
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cue — for pool
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a quarrel

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