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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ground — a position
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. shower — to wash
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bound — tied together
  18. toast — bread
  19. shower — rain
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. bound — certain
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — crushed

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