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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. can — a tin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — to come from
  20. tube — a container
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stem — a stem cell

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