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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spell — magic
  4. firm — steady
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. firm — decided
  13. capital — money
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. tear — to rip
  18. capital — a city
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wake — a trail
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bay — a horse colour

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