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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bat — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a great time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — to rip

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