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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ball — a great time
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. suit — in cards
  5. track — a song
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. club — for golf
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — clothes
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ball — a dance
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. suit — to fit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tear — from crying

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