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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tear — to rip
  6. content — the amount
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — wild animals
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — a match
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. content — happy

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