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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. object — an aim
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wake — a trail
  16. charge — in control
  17. board — to get on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. object — a thing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — a price
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. object — to protest
  24. tear — from crying

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