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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mark — a grade
  3. march — the month
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — a country
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. march — the month
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — to come down
  23. mark — a trace
  24. land — ground

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