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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — to protest
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — a thing
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fall — the season
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — to be able to
  15. object — an aim
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rush — hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rush — a thrill

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