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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. lean — thin
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — there
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. firm — decided
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. ground — a position
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — the time now
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. present — a gift
  23. rash — a series
  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