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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tear — to rip
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — to trim
  10. track — a path
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — a song
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to click

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