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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ground — crushed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. shower — rain
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mug — a face
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mug — to rob
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — the earth
  22. snap — to click
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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