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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rest — a break
  3. kid — child
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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