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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bound — certain
  13. present — there
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. suit — in cards
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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