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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. tear — from crying
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rush — hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — in control
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wind — moving air
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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