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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: date · suit · snap · bay · tear · stand · file · hide

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. file — a tool
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. file — a line of people
  8. suit — clothes
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. tear — from crying
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a document
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stand — to bear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. suit — to fit
  20. date — the fruit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bay — a horse colour

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