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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — a stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pop — to visit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — army training
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — music
  24. pop — music

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