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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — of ice
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rock — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — a position
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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