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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ground — the earth
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ground — crushed
  14. row — to paddle
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ground — a position
  18. foot — a measure
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fine — all right
  23. tear — from crying
  24. row — a line

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