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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tear — from crying
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. craft — boats
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lean — thin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bay — a horse colour

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