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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. race — humankind
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. plane — a tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fine — all right
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — the underground
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. tear — from crying

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