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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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. firm — decided
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. key — in music
  5. firm — a company
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. firm — steady
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rock — music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — a line
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. season — in 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