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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.

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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tear — from crying
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a line of people
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — a container
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hide — to keep secret

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