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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mark — a trace
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. clip — for paper
  8. land — a country
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — the tool
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — ground
  20. clip — a video
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  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