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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hand — help
  11. pound — a weight
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. firm — steady
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — part of the body

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