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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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Word bank
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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — all right
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. clip — a video
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fine — high quality
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pit — in a race

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