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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. land — a country
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — to handle
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fall — to drop
  15. snap — to click
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. land — to come down
  19. hand — help
  20. land — ground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fall — the season

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