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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 124 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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468
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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. tear — to rip
  10. scale — in music
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. season — of the year
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — in football
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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