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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · cabinet · foot · wake · tear · wind

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. 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. foot — part of the body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. 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