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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — from a university
  5. tear — to rip
  6. current — of water
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. current — electric
  16. bear — the animal
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. content — the amount
  23. degree — an amount
  24. current — happening now

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