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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. net — for catching
  6. tear — from crying
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tube — a container
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — after costs
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. net — in sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. tube — in a tire

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