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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — crushed
  4. staff — employees
  5. tear — to rip
  6. staff — a stick
  7. court — of law
  8. ground — a position
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mine — for digging
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — of a king
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tear — from crying
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. court — for sport

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