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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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