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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. tear — from crying
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — boats
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rule — a law
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fan — a supporter
  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