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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: coach · bay · rock · clip · chip · tear · date · mark

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rock — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — a grade

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