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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. last — to go on
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. last — finally
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. land — a country
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lean — thin
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. last — final
  21. land — to come down
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. land — ground

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