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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — for dancing
  12. present — there
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — a series
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rash — on the skin

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