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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. firm — steady
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — the amount
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bass — low music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — a company
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — happy

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