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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tube — a container
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tear — to rip
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — to be able to
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mate — to breed
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. can — a tin

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