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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. tear — to rip
  4. firm — steady
  5. pit — in a race
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. firm — a company
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tear — from crying
  22. swing — to play on
  23. drill — army training
  24. tear — from crying

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