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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ground — the earth
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. firm — decided
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fall — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. ground — a position
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fall — to drop
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. squash — the sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. firm — steady
  24. tear — from crying

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