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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. face — to confront
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. press — to push
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. face — to point toward
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ground — crushed

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