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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mine — for digging
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tear — to rip

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