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

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spell — magic
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mug — a cup
  8. ground — a position
  9. mug — a face
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mug — to rob
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wound — an injury
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. spell — letters

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