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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ball — a great time
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — to protest
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tear — from crying
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rest — a break
  23. tear — to rip
  24. staff — a stick

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