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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. last — final
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. last — finally
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — in music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kick — in football
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — to go on

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