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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tear — to rip
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — a price
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tear — from crying
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — in sport
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — a partner
  20. snap — to click
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mate — a friend
  23. net — after costs
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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