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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 124 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mine — for digging
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. toast — bread

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