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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.

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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rock — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — there
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tear — to rip
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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