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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — for a lock
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. staff — a stick
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. key — in music
  20. staff — employees
  21. race — the arms race
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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