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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tear — to rip
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a great time
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rule — government
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rule — a law
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rock — a stone

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