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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. sharp — clever
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kick — in football
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. hand — help
  10. fall — the season
  11. suit — clothes
  12. hand — in cards
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. tear — to rip
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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