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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. land — to come down
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — ground
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — a skill
  16. snap — to click
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. can — to be able to
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  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