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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: mine · mark · stick · bay · wound · net · tear · coach

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — after costs

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