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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. suit — in cards
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. suit — to fit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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