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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 124 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tear — to rip
  6. face — to confront
  7. tear — from crying
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. face — part of the head
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — army training
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fall — to drop
  19. row — to paddle
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fall — the season
  24. row — a line

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