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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — to recline
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cue — a hint
  6. current — happening now
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. current — of water
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tube — a container
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ball — a great time
  20. current — electric
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cue — a signal

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