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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · pitch · kick · plane · rash · bear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. kick — in football
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — a series
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rash — hasty

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