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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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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bark — to shout
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mug — a face
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — to rob
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lean — thin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mug — a cup

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