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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ground — the earth
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tear — to rip
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — in cards
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. suit — clothes
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — to sink

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