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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tear — from crying
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a music group
  6. clip — to cut
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mug — a face
  9. firm — steady
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — a tin
  13. content — happy
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — the amount
  22. band — a ring
  23. can — to be able to
  24. content — videos and posts

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