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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wind — moving air
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lash — an eyelash

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