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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bark — of a tree

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