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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. last — to go on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ground — the earth
  8. last — finally
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ground — crushed
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. last — final
  17. board — to get on
  18. ground — a position
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tear — to rip
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a committee

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