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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. race — a contest
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — to get on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hand — help
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hand — in cards
  15. race — humankind
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rock — music

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