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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ground — crushed
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — a match
  13. ground — a position
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. tear — to rip
  18. safe — out of danger

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