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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bound — certain
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a partner
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tear — from crying
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bound — obliged
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — a friend

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