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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. race — a contest
  3. court — of law
  4. suit — to fit
  5. track — a path
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spell — magic
  9. race — humankind
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. court — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — to recline
  14. suit — in cards
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — a song
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tear — from crying
  24. track — to keep track

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