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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 120 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: hide · ruler · staff · tear · present · leaves · bay · club

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — for golf
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — a group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — a gift
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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