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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. capital — a city
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. deal — to handle
  12. row — a line
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tear — to rip
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ground — the earth
  24. capital — a big letter

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