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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fork — in a road
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ground — a position
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — the earth

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