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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. court — for sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — help
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. court — of law
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — all right
  24. court — of a king

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