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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. drill — army training
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — electricity
  17. degree — an amount
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — a trail
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. degree — from a university
  24. dip — to sink

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