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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fine — all right
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cap — of ice
  15. net — after costs
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. net — for catching
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kick — in football
  21. cap — a hat
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — a lid

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