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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — a series
  4. kick — in football
  5. rest — a break
  6. present — a gift
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. roll — a list
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — there
  20. tear — from crying
  21. present — the time now
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kick — with a leg

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