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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. field — a subject
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — an illness
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. plane — a tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. tear — from crying
  16. field — for sport
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — clothes

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