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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's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. degree — from a university
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wound — an injury
  10. degree — temperature
  11. face — to confront
  12. tear — to rip
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. degree — an amount
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — music
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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