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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. object — to protest
  9. cap — a lid
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rash — a series
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. club — for dancing
  16. object — an aim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — hurry
  20. club — a group
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — for golf
  24. object — a thing

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