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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. object — an aim
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tear — to rip
  8. field — a subject
  9. tear — from crying
  10. field — farmland
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rash — a series
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. object — to protest
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. field — for sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bulb — for light

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