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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — government
  4. ground — a position
  5. tear — to rip
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pound — a weight
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rule — a law
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — for golf
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mug — a face
  17. ground — crushed
  18. club — a group
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mug — to rob
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pound — to hit hard

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