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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hand — help
  5. lean — to bend
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — thin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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