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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. face — to confront
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a document
  5. face — part of the head
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. board — to get on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tear — to rip
  17. file — a tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. file — a line of people
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tear — from crying

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