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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chair — a leader
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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