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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — of ice
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. object — to protest
  8. cap — a lid
  9. object — a thing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. object — an aim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cap — a hat
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — in control

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