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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. bore — to drill
  6. tear — to rip
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bore — to tire
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rule — government
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tear — from crying
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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