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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — thin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. saw — the tool

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