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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mine — for digging
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — in football
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rock — music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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