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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lie — to recline
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spell — magic
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — farmland
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mate — to breed
  13. field — for sport
  14. drill — a practice
  15. field — a subject
  16. spell — letters
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. drill — army training
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spell — a short time

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