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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. net — in sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bark — to shout
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — for catching
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. tear — from crying
  24. coach — a trainer

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