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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. clip — a video
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tear — to rip
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spell — magic
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. clip — for paper
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — letters

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