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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ground — the earth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. firm — steady
  6. board — a committee
  7. ground — crushed
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ground — a position
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. firm — a company
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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