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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 116 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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — steady
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. tear — to rip
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ground — a position
  13. tear — from crying
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. firm — decided
  17. bore — to drill
  18. shower — rain
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — a company
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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