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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ground — a position
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. object — an aim
  6. suit — in cards
  7. object — a thing
  8. ground — the earth
  9. spell — magic
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. band — a music group
  13. object — to protest
  14. band — a ring
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tear — from crying
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. tear — from crying

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