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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cap — of ice
  4. shower — to wash
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cap — a hat
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ground — crushed
  11. season — of the year
  12. ground — the earth
  13. season — in sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — a position
  16. shower — rain
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cap — a lid
  19. suit — to fit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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