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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. cue — a signal
  16. object — a thing
  17. cue — for pool
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kid — child

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