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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bear — the animal

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