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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. current — of water
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. drill — army training
  8. staff — a stick
  9. current — happening now
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. drill — the tool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. staff — employees
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pitch — completely
  20. current — electric
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. drill — a practice

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