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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — for dancing
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. suit — to fit
  9. club — a group
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. club — for golf
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. row — to paddle
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. suit — clothes
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. row — a line
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — to sit on

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