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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tear — to rip
  5. content — the amount
  6. land — a country
  7. kick — in football
  8. stock — goods
  9. content — happy
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. land — ground
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. tear — from crying
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — shares
  24. tear — from crying

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