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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. land — ground
  8. game — a match
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — a trace
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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