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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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. spell — magic
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — letters
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. band — a ring
  17. ground — a position
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a music group
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. coach — a trainer

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