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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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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 · mouse · craft · rule · sharp · hand · lie · ball

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — a law
  3. craft — a skill
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rule — government
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. craft — boats
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tear — to rip
  24. hand — help

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