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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — certain
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ground — a position
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — obliged
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ground — crushed
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bark — of a tree

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