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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spell — letters
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — all right
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — a short time
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spell — magic
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — high quality
  20. tear — from crying
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tear — from crying
  23. leaves — to go away
  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