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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. tear — to rip
  4. object — a thing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. cold — not warm
  13. tear — from crying
  14. season — of the year
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. season — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hide — to keep secret

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