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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tear — to rip
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — thin
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — a gift
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tear — from crying
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — there
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — humankind
  22. present — the time now
  23. race — a contest
  24. lean — to bend

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