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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. race — a contest
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. race — the arms race
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. race — humankind
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. can — to be able to

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