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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. firm — a company
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — decided
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tear — to rip
  14. firm — steady
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  24. kick — in football

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