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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: pit · bay · racket · cell · object · lie · tear · board

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — in biology
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lie — to recline
  11. object — a thing
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. board — a committee
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — to get on
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pit — in a race

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