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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. track — a song
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a document
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. file — a tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a line of people
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. track — a path
  24. ball — a round shape

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