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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a ring
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a music group
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cue — for pool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cue — a signal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — a straw man
  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