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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cap — a lid
  4. object — a thing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. clip — a video
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — all right
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — to protest
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. clip — for paper
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. object — an aim
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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