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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. object — a thing
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tear — to rip
  9. capital — a city
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — money
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — ground
  24. capital — a big letter

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