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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rush — hurry
  7. band — a music group
  8. hand — help
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tear — to rip
  12. plane — a tool
  13. band — a ring
  14. hand — in cards
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bore — to drill
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cap — a hat

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