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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cue — a signal
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tear — to rip
  7. board — a committee
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — of the year
  16. clip — a video
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. board — to get on
  20. cue — a hint
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. clip — to cut

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