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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. tear — to rip
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. march — music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. suit — to fit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. hand — help
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bass — low music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. march — the month
  24. temple — a place of worship

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