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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pop — soda
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — to visit
  24. arm — part of the body

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