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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tear — to rip
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. suit — in cards
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tear — from crying

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