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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pit — in a race
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bank — of a river
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. board — a committee
  14. clip — a video
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bank — for money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. pit — a hole

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