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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tear — to rip
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. branch — of a tree
  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