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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — in music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rush — hurry
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — child
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — a tin
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. scale — size or range
  24. tear — to rip

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