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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. club — a group
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. tear — from crying
  7. club — for golf
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kick — in football
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. club — for dancing

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