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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — a committee
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. degree — temperature
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. degree — an amount
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. board — to get on
  23. degree — from a university
  24. band — a ring

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