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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: season · rock · bay · scale · wound · ruler · cap · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cap — a lid
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rock — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — of the year
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rock — a stone
  19. scale — in music
  20. season — in sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cap — a hat
  24. tear — from crying

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