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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: tear · object · charge · bay · rash · pit · land · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. object — to protest
  4. charge — in control
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. land — to come down
  8. charge — a price
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tear — from crying
  11. land — ground
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. land — a country
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. object — an aim
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. object — a thing

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