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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pit — a hole
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. file — a tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tear — from crying
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a document
  24. tear — to rip

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