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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wind — moving air
  21. deal — to handle
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. tear — to rip

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