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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. tear — to rip
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tear — from crying
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — a grade
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. clip — a video
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the 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