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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. sharp — clever
  12. tear — from crying
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rock — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  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