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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — a price
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — thin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cap — of ice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pit — in a race
  22. charge — in control
  23. spell — letters
  24. charge — electricity

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