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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. swing — to play on
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — the amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. tear — to rip
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. swing — in golf

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