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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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Word bank
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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: arm · leaves · tear · net · bay · pass · row · spring

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spring — of water
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. row — to paddle
  10. net — after costs
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tear — to rip
  15. net — in sport
  16. spring — the season
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. net — for catching
  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