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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cue — a hint
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — a box
  11. cue — a signal
  12. drill — army training
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chest — of your body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. drill — the tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ruler — for measuring

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