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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tear — to rip
  12. content — the amount
  13. game — a match
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a path
  20. content — happy
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — to keep track
  23. tear — from crying
  24. track — a song

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