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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bass — low music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. branch — a division
  7. net — for catching
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. net — in sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. tear — to rip
  14. snap — to click
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. tear — from crying
  20. net — after costs
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bass — the fish

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