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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. tear — from crying
  3. last — to go on
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. last — finally
  7. tear — to rip
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. object — a thing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pound — a weight
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bat — in an idiom

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