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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. band — a ring
  8. cap — a hat
  9. tear — from crying
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — help
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mug — a face
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — to rob
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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