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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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tear — from crying
  5. court — for sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — to handle
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of law
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chest — a box
  22. bank — for money
  23. suit — in cards
  24. deal — an agreement

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