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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spell — letters
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — a country
  9. pit — in a race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — decided
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. tear — to rip
  14. firm — a company
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. spell — magic
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. land — ground
  23. spell — a short time
  24. land — to come down

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