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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: game · tear · last · bay · hide · rule · wound · mine

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. last — final
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. game — a match
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rule — government
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rule — a law
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wound — an injury
  23. last — to go on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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