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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. last — finally
  3. bass — the fish
  4. track — a path
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. last — final
  10. cue — a hint
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. last — to go on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bass — low music
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. track — a song
  21. board — to get on
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a committee

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