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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. snap — to click
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mug — to rob
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — a skill
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. deal — to handle
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. march — the month
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. march — the month
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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