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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. last — finally
  4. tear — to rip
  5. march — the month
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — a hat
  9. march — music
  10. last — final
  11. march — the month
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. last — to go on
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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