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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. club — for golf
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. object — to protest
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rock — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. object — an aim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kid — child
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — a group

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