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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. net — in sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rule — government
  10. chip — to eat
  11. suit — to fit
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. net — for catching
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fine — all right
  21. rule — a law
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chip — in a computer

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