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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rest — a break
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cold — an illness
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bore — gave birth

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