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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — a supporter

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