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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. swing — to play on
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. swing — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. swing — in golf
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mate — a partner

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