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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bound — tied together
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — rain
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — obliged
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bound — certain
  18. land — a country
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fine — all right

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