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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tear — from crying
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — a position
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. date — the fruit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a dance
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ground — the earth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — hurry

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