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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. charge — in control
  4. tear — to rip
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rule — a law
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rule — government
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hand — help
  24. bulb — of a plant

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