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

Word bank: tear · track · nail · ruler · cabinet · mate · chair · bowl

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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