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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · hand · mouse · bay · pass · tear · current · field

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hand — in cards
  5. current — happening now
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — help
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. field — for sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. current — of water

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