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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. present — there
  4. cue — for pool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. present — a gift
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. current — electric
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — the time now
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. current — happening now
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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