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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. capital — money
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lean — thin
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. object — to protest
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bound — certain
  20. capital — a city
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tear — from crying

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