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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — for catching
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — a leader
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. chair — a professorship

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