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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — thin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bound — tied together
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hand — in cards
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — a group

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