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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. net — for catching
  3. present — a gift
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. band — a ring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. net — after costs
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. net — in sport
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. present — there
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. present — the time now
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bark — to shout

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