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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. can — a tin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. kick — in football
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rule — government
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — a law
  20. tear — to rip
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — boats
  24. kick — a thrill

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