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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stock — shares
  15. pit — in a race
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stock — goods
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — from crying
  22. foot — a measure
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — a supporter

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