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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — to recline
  3. shower — to wash
  4. firm — a company
  5. ground — crushed
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tear — to rip
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. tear — from crying
  16. firm — steady
  17. shower — rain
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. firm — decided

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