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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — to rip
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rest — a break
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. cue — a signal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — all right
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cue — for pool

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