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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — a coil
  4. craft — boats
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spring — of water
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — in football
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lash — an eyelash

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