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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. file — a tool
  3. tear — to rip
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wound — an injury
  6. firm — a company
  7. wound — an injury
  8. court — for sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — hasty
  13. firm — decided
  14. file — a document
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. firm — steady
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rash — a series
  21. rest — a break
  22. tear — from crying
  23. court — of a king
  24. rest — what's left

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