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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. drill — army training
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tear — to rip
  17. drill — a practice
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. shower — rain
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — from crying

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