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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. row — to paddle
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. row — a line
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tube — a container
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tube — in a tire

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