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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — a hint
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rest — a break
  23. tear — to rip
  24. lie — an untruth

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