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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tear — from crying
  8. row — a line
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — a trail
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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