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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. row — a line
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rule — a law
  7. craft — boats
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rule — government
  10. tear — to rip
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. tear — from crying

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