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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ground — a position
  6. face — to point toward
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to confront
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — part of the head
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — a friend
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stock — shares

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