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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 124 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. tear — from crying
  3. field — farmland
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bound — obliged
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bound — certain
  10. fine — all right
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — a series
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rest — a break
  19. rash — hasty
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — a penalty

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