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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. clip — a video
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tear — to rip
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — from crying

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