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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rest — a break
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. tear — to rip
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rock — music
  23. hand — help
  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