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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spell — letters
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. suit — clothes
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pit — in a race
  15. can — to be able to
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — magic
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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