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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tear — to rip
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lie — to recline
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bank — of a river
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bank — for money
  23. field — a subject
  24. mark — a trace

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