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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. file — a tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cold — an illness
  9. file — a document
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — all right
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a partner
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — a horse colour

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