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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. drill — army training
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. race — a contest
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tube — the underground
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pound — a weight
  24. tear — to rip

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