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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — government
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rule — a law
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. charge — a price
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. charge — in control
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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