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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. last — final
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ground — crushed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. shower — rain
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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